Locomotive smokebox steam injection draft control



l y 1950 P. WILLIS 2,516,440

LOCOMOTIVE SMOKE BOX STEAM INJECTION DRAFT CONTROL Filed July 11, 1946 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Para/Z 5527/55 Jizarweys July 25, 1950 P. WILLIS2,516,440

LOCOMOTIVE smoxz BOX STEAM mmcnon DRAFT common Filed July ll, 194$ 3Sheets-Sheet 2 July 25, 1950 P, WILLIS LOCOMOTIVE SMOKE BOX STEAMINJECTION DRAFT CONTROL Filed July 11, 1946' I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3operation being entirely automatic free's the -en- Patented July 25,1950 UNITED ESTATES PAi lifEfN-T Locomot ve sMoKEBoxJsmEAM "INJECTIONDRAFTCONTROL Paul .Willis; Blue "Island, 111.; assign'or of onethird to,Edmund P. Kelly, Chieagdandonethird-to Grant Roth, Evanston; dill.

application 51113 11, 1946; Serra-1N0. 6 82;9 46

draft. Usually the size of draft nozzle is selected for maximuzncapacity or at least "for some point not too far below maximum capacity.'As a result when the engine isoperating at'lower capacity less exhauststeam passes through the nozzle, the draft drops and there isd-ifficultykeeping the engine hot.

I propose to associate with the nozzle means which will insure'adequatedraft conditions even at low engineoutput. I proposeto do this by meansof a butterfly'valve or other suitable constricting means which willobstruct though not prevent the discharge of steam through the exhaustnozzle. This butterfly valve'or otherobstructing member'when in theclosed position will reduce the effective nozzle areaand :so maintain ahigh velocity even though the engine is workwing in its lower ranges.

When the engine is workingat or toward maximum capacity, a-hot fire mustbe kept up' and out too'rapidly.

I propose therefore that when the boilenpressure reaches a certainpredetermmedipoint; the butterfly valve will ":be automatically openedto increase the effective nozzle area and solprev'ent undue-increase ofexhaust 'bla'st- 'velooities. The

gineer from watching or compensating .for changes-inengine operation,and one purpose of my invention therefore is to provide automatic meanswhich will in consonance with boiler con ditions and engineoperation'adjust draft condi- "none to "suit ehan esin "engineoperation.

My invention is illustrated -more or less diagrammatically =in thea-a'ccom panying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal'section of the locomotive smoke box andadjacent boiler parts;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the boilerwith parts broken away;

Figure -3'is a section on an enlarged-scale along 3 the line 33 ofFigure 1,;

Figure 4 is asection along the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section'on-an-enlarged scale along V Figure 6 is=adiagrammaticplan view of the exhaust nozzle.

Like parts are ind-icated by "like-characters throughout thespecification and drawings.

i is a =lcoiler having ahead-:2. and a plurality of fire tubesfiidischarging into the ismoke'lb'ox l. 5 is a stack dischargingoutwardly from'the smoke "icon; 5 an exhaust nozzle -in line with thestack adapted'ito discharge exhaust steam from thezengine through thestack. "l is ais'creen aidapted rto prevent the discharge oflargevcinder panticles from the :(ire box through'the'tfirez'tubesaandlout of: thesmoke box through thetstack.

. positioned parallel to the axis ofthe nozzle, {the butterfly valvemember exerts substantially-no j constricting effect. Thelshaft-llis-mounted in hearing l2, extends outwardly through the wall .of thesmoke box 4 and is rotatably mounted .at

its outer end in the bracket M mounted .ona plate 15 on the outer wallof the smoke box- 4.

Plate [5 carries a cylinder iii in which is reciprocably mounted apiston l'lfhaving aoonn'ecting rod extending outwardlythroughthe'packing gland [8 .to support a link [9 pivoted'ona leverpivoted at one end a link 23 which is alsopivoted on the lever "20. A"spring 24 is compressed-hetween'the opposite end of the bearing fl and acap 25 adjustably threaded on the rodQIand provided with a'lock nut '26.

' "Figure 3. "The pipe 2? communicates with the low pressure chamber 28"in the control valve "and a pipe29 brings boiler pressure from theBoiler to the high pressure ch'am'ber 30 int'he control valve; -31isa'valve =seat riing member interposed between chambersflll and 36adapted to be' engaged by aplugvaiveflZ} the latter having a taperedportion 33 to engage the tapered portion '34 of the valve seat 'tl. Thevalve 32*t'ravels 3 Withinthe *packing gland 33, packing 34 and*paok'ing nut-35110 make asteam tigh-t fit a were forming apart of theautomatic va v-e as- 1 sembly apertured at 38 to "guide thereciprocation of-the 'adiiuStabIe member -BQ which" carries a springseat 40, the -springdl being compressed between the end crane yoke andthe spring-seat.

certain-maximum determined b he adjustment "Qf the --tensioninthesp-ring 4 tanne -pressure unseats the plug valve 32 and sincemovement of the plug valve as it leaves the seat 33 does not change thepressure relationships, the valve im mediately assumes a wide openposition when the pressure is sufiicient to overcome the tension of thespring. This permits steam at boiler pressure to pass through the pipe21 into the cylinder 16, overcoming the spring 24 and rotating thebutterfly to the dotted line position shown in Figure where noconstriction of the exhaust jet occurs. When boiler pressure drops belowa predetermined point, the spring 41 closes the plug valve and shuts offsteam from the boiler. The spring 24 can then rotate the butterfly tothe horizontal position, as indicated in Figure 5, returning the pistonH to the starting position, the bleeder ports 42 permitting suchmovement, and the exhaust is constricted. The stop pins 43 on thebracket 14 are engaged by the lever at each end of its excursion andlimit its movement to either full open or full restriction positions.

I claim:

1. In combination with a boiler having a smoke box, hues and an exhauststack, an exhaust steam nozzle adapted to discharge exhaust steamthrough the stack to induce a draft, means adapted to restrict theeffective opening of the exhaust nozzle and means responsive to boilerpressure and operative only when a maximum pressure is reached forrendering said nozzle restricting means inefiective.

2. In combination with a boiler having a smoke box, fiues and an exhauststack, an exhaust steam nozzle adapted to discharge exhaust steamthrough the stack to induce a draft, means adapted to restrict theeffective opening of the exhaust nozzle and means responsive to boilerpressure and operative only when a predetermined maximum boiler pressurehas been reached for rendering said nozzle restricting meansinefiective, said means including a cylinder, a piston therein, aconnection between one side of the piston and the boiler and amechanical connection between the piston and the opening restrictingmeans.

3. In combination with a boiler having a smoke box, hues and an exhauststack, an exhaust steam nozzle adapted to discharge exhaust steamthrough the stack to induce a draft, means adapted to restrict theeiiective opening of the exhaust nozzle and means responsive to boilerpressure and operative only when a maximum pressure is reached forrendering said nozzle restricting means ineffective, said meansincluding a cylinder, a piston therein, a connection between one side ofthe piston and the boiler and a mechanical connection between the pistonand the opening restricting means, a spring loaded valve exposed toboiler pressure and means for adjusting it to permit opening of thevalve and actuation of the piston only when the boiler pressure reachesa predetermined maximum.

4. In combination with a steam boilerand an exhaust nozzle adapted toinduce a draft therefor, means for restricting the efiective area of thenozzle, actuating means therefor including a cylinder, a piston mountedfor reciprocation therein, asteam connection between the boiler and oneside of the piston, yielding means for resisting movement of the pistonunder steam pressure and tending to return the piston to startingposition thereagainst, a mechanical connection between the piston andthe nozzle restricting means so disposed that the restricting means isin the closed position when the piston is at one end of its excursionand in the open position when the piston is forced by steam pressure tothe other end of its excursion, a spring loaded valve associated withthe steam connection adapted to be set to yield when predeterminedboiler pressure is reached to open the steam connection to cause pistonmovement responsive to steam pressure.

5. In combination with a steam boiler and an exhaust nozzle adapted toinduce a draft therefor, means for restricting the efiective area of thenozzle, actuating means therefor including a cylinder, a piston mountedfor reciprocation therein, a steam connection between the boiler and oneside of the piston, yielding means for resisting movement of the pistonunder steam pressure and tending to return the piston to startingposition thereagainst, a mechanical connection between the piston andthe nozzle restricting means so disposed that the restricting means isin the closed position when the piston is at one end of its excursionand in the open position when the piston is forced by steam pressure tothe other end of its excursion, a spring loaded valve associated withthe steam connection adapted to be set to yield when predeterminedboiler pressure is reached to open the steam connection to cause pistonmovement responsive to steam pressure, said valve being set'for wideopen and completely closed positions only.

6. In combination with a steam boiler and an exhaust nozzle adapted toinduce a draft therefor, means for restricting the effective area of thenozzle, actuating means therefor including a cylinder, a piston mountedfor reciprocation therein, a steam connection between the boiler andoneside of the piston, yielding means for resisting movement of thepiston under steam pressure and tending to return the piston to startingposition thereagainst, a mechanical connection between the piston andthe nozzle restricting means so disposed that the restricting means isin the closed position when the piston is at one end of its excursionand in the open position when the piston is forced by steam pressure tothe other end of its excursion, a spring loaded valve associated-withthe steam connection adapted to be set to yield when predeterminedboiler pressure is reached to open the steam connection to cause pistonmovement responsive to steam pressure, said valve being set for-wideopen and completely closed positions only, and positive means forlimiting the excursion of the nozzle restraining means between open andshut positions.

PAUL WILLIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 258,133 Schaefer May 16, 18821,185,551 Spurlin May 30, 1916 1,466,371 Gale Aug. 28, 1923 1,702,105Brooks Feb. 12, 1929 2,222,502 Bertram Nov. 19, 1940 2353.306 Henry July11, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,771 Great Britain Sept.22, 1876

